Movie Reviews

[Wyvern]

I recently saw "An Inconvenient Truth" in theatres, and watched "Oldboy" on DVD a few weeks back.

 

Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth" was decent, though not amazing. It's certainly an important film in its portrayal of the facts of global warming and the consequences that may ensue, but it didn't really keep me engaged at all times in its presentation of the facts. To his credit, Al Gore is a surprisingly good narrator, with a nice sense of humor and a very personal take on things... the trouble is that science facts and equations have never particularly interested me, and I was occasionally bored by the explanations of CO2 and the flow of water currents. Still, it is an important film, and I did like the quotes that Gore chose and the "Futurama" clip that was shown. If your ignorant about the state of the planet's environment, seeing this movie certainly couldn't hurt.

 

"Oldboy" is the rare case of a film that was very well done in several regards, but which I didn't like that much personally. Without revealing too much of the plot, "Oldboy" is a Korean film about a man who is kidnapped after a night of drinking and imprisoned in a cell for 15 years, without any explanation of why. His thoughts focus on revenge against his unknown captors over the years until one day, he's drugged up and let out on top of the roof of some random building. The film was well-directed, with plenty of eyebrow-raising moments and a truly shocking twist near the end. The reason that I can't fully recommend it, however, is that I personally found it a bit too sadistic. Don't get me wrong, I can stand watching things like people getting teeth slowly twisted out of their mouth with a hammer edge (though I don't particularly enjoy those scenes), but this film went well beyond its physical violence and into a kind of mental sadism. It seemed as if almost all of the characters had the focus of hurting each other in the worst possible ways, and the intricate (albeit far-fetched) plot seemed to really revolve around excruciatingly painful forms of revenge. Still, the horrifying twist near the end has definitely been haunting me for the past few weeks, and several other scenes from it are still vivid in my mind. "Oldboy" is technically a very good movie, but I doubt that I'd watch it again.

 

On a side note: with srsizzy's recent review, that makes four extremely negative pennite reviews of "Ultraviolet" without a single positive thing to say about it! Honestly, I'm almost tempted to watch it now just to see how terrible it really is... that kind of bad must really be awful!

[Mynx]

Superman Returns

I've never been a huge fan of Superman. I never liked the comics nor the cartoons because I've always felt that Superman is a bit of a git. The only one of the original movies I saw was the first Superman and while I enjoyed it, I think a lot of it was the brilliant acting of the two characters that Christopher Reeves pulled off - he actually made them two seperate characters whereas other actors have simply played Clark Kent as Superman with glasses.

This one however was brilliant. It was a beautiful nod to the old school superhero movies with enough of a modern sense to keep me interested. The acting was top notch (Brandon Routh could be Reeves' brother the two are so alike) the story was engaging, and the effects stunning. It totally revamped the franchise and was just plain enjoyable.

 

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

I'm of split minds about this one. I loved the first Pirates movie and while I didn't hate this one, it was a clear step down in quality. The story was interesting and the characters were all there (some returned that I wish hadn't), but it just seemed to me that they were trying to coast off the fame of the first one without coming up with anything really new.

Much the way that the Matrix trilogy was designed (first movie a stand alone, second and third connected), this one ended with no true ending, only tying up the events that had to be and leaving the rest open for the next movie.

Hope it's good...

[srsizzy]

Cars

Super suck. I really don't have much else to say. I didn't find it funny, interesting, and the plot was so freaking cliche that...well, I can't even think of what to say. Pointless really, I think it was just made to make a movie/money. But I guess that happens a lot. I wish I didn't spend money on it, oh well.

[Elvina]

Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest. Man, that was a bit disappointing for me. I had hoped for so much more... Not that I didn't laugh in bits - that scene with the crow and the coffin was funny, as were others. But I'm afraid that I'll have to agree with Mynx on this one. The major issue for me was the length - it seemed to draw on for quite a bit, and that one of the main characters in the end does something I saw as completely out of character for all their previous toting of honour and all that. From the ending we see that this out of character act only seems to be there as a plot device so they have something to do in the next movie. I don't think good writers/directors should need to resort to something like that; it always ruins the movie for me.

 

Final verdict: If you're tight on money, maybe wait until it comes out on DVD. Two-three stars.

[reverie]

Well, this Sunday, I'm recovering from my first week of Capoeira combined on top of my on-going ball-room dancing/biking excursions. Pretty much, I've haven't been this sore since Basic Training, and actually the only thing I can think to top it would be that first Marathon I ran or that dang Relay-for-life when I blew out my right knee. Those took weeks to recover from, this will only take days (I hope).

 

Anyhow, I'm resting up doing some moderate studying and movie watching.

 

Pirates of the Caribbean

 

Not bad. If you are a die-hard Johnny Depp fan like I am, go see it. If not, I'd wait for video. The ending was particularly annoying. With the exception of Captain Jack the theme that emerged at the end was one of "weakness." I'm not talking about the actor's performance, but the how the parts were written (or maybe I mean the plot? I don't know). And the "who's with me/all for one" closer seemed particularly lame. Orlando bloom's character was strong thorough out the majority of the film, but at the end it seems like the writers/director decided to castrate his part.

 

Dave Chappelle's Block Party

Awesome! Simply Awesome. Well provided you can appreciate that the film is mostly a chronicle of an eclectic musical event. If you looking for straight comedy, go rent the the first season of Chappelle's Show or Half-Baked otherwise you'll might be disappointed. It's still a very funny film though, but it's much more than that. Uplifting and Inspiring flick. I highly recommend it, but be warned there is a fair amount of profanity, but it's not too over the top.

 

Corpse Bride

 

Fun film. Tim Burton at his best. Kudos to all the Stop-Motion-Animation people that worked on the film. It's a dying art and if nothing else you should see the film just to appreciate this ever-vanishing form of expression. The only thing I didn't like about it was the Bone-jangles jazz song about the history of the Corpse Bride. It seemed well, out of place and fake, and by fake I mean non-organic. And if jazz is anything it's organic. This seemed a poor imitation. Otherwise the music was wonderful. Great piano and orchestra arrangements. Good action. Johnny Deep was great. I found myself getting nostalgic for his earlier works and Beetlejuice of all things. Sigh, hmm, I guess what I really miss is the innocently jaded Winona Ryder or maybe even Benny and Joon They were such a cute couple (both the real and the fake one). Anyway, great film, good acting, decent music, superb animation. I just wish it was a bit longer.

Edited July 17, 2006 by reverie

[The Big Pointy One]

Superman Returns

 

As noted above, not a big Superman fan, but this was a great movie. To sum it up: Lois Lane: pwned. Lex Luthor: [the best]

[reverie]

Clerks 2

 

Watch it only if your a fan of the Kevin Smith Films. Pretty much the film is weak. Very weak, but it has it's moments. I don't think I've out grown Kevin Smith. I still like his other films, but I think maybe Kevin Smith has out grown his own films. I think he should say the heck with his fan-base and make more mature movies like Jersey Girl. That one seemed to work better for him. However, if he's going to keep making movies in the Clerk saga, then he should make them as surreal as possible. I think that's why Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back worked, they were so 'out there' that you could suspend belief. But there is nothing wrong with working in reality even if you stretch it like in the orginal Clerks and Chasing Amy . And even Mall Rats hit a nice balance between the real and surreal. I think the earlier more grounded films worked because they were both irrelevant and relevant at the same time. They were like urban myths come to life.

 

Clerks 2 has plenty of irrelevant humor (if you like that sort of thing) but the relevant side misses hard. You could believe in most of the story of the original Clerks (though far fetched) could happen. However, Clerks 2 is a complete farce.

Edited July 22, 2006 by reverie

[The Portrait of Zool]

Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest

 

While on vacation this week I made time to go see this film, and I'm glad I did.

 

Actually, pretty much everyone with me agreed with the above reviews, that it was too long, containing unnecessary parts, and overall disappointing - but I loved it, and here's why...

 

SPOILER alert!!! Although, actually, it is tough to have spoilers in this film because it can be seen as less plot driven and more a pure, fun filled, action adventure story. True, it doesn't have the fire and explosions or spaced-out weirdness of a Schwarznegger film (IMO the classic summer action adventure blockbuster) but rest assured there is plenty of pain, destruction, and carribean black juju to go around - you know, the watery-piratey kind.

 

Yes, some scenes could be deleted without really effecting the flow of the movie - but how often have we lamented the formulaic pace of our entertainment? IMO, these scenes were put in just for the fun of it, which in today's world of frantic efficiency I found a tremendous relief and highly enjoyable. This movie is very true to the pirate genre, as made clear from the opening sequence and throughout, which is why I really liked it. In fact, I would not be surprised to see a pirate genre revival, solely because of the Carribean trilogy.

 

On a deeper level, I also found the basic premise to be artful and resonant, that the legend of Davey Jones was a man who was so frustrated with love that he took his heart out of his chest, locked it in an iron chest, and buried it. The fact that he had no heart was the secret to his power over the sea. How's that for a modern myth? Metaphorically, I found it a powerful statement of what can be seen as the modern crisis between power and compassion, between our need to make and maintain our own place in the world, and our sensitivity to and empathy with the plight of others. Davey Jones is an archetypal metaphore for this dilemma because of the need for his own peace and fulfillment: frustrated by unrequited love, he locks his feeling heart away, which quickly allows his legitimate need to run amok into greed and egotism. "I am the sea," he says at one point, and one can't help but feel that with the power he commands, there is something to that. The kraken is an awesome power, but only the power of negativism, the power that takes, destroys, consumes, all to fulfill Davey's own self-serving ends. Even the Black Pearl, the film's metaphore of man's ingenuity and 'power object', which in Jack Sparrow's case is the fulfillment of his freedom and destiny as a pirate, can put up a good fight, but in the end cannot resist the cruel singlemindedness of Davey's ambition.

 

Of course, I am a huge Depp fan. He has never failed to wow me, even when the scripts have failed critically, such as in Edward Scissorhands (but that's another review). In Jack Sparrow, we find all the essential elements of his best roles. Spontaneous and carefree, but at the same time scheming and self-centered, his character totters through the movie like a water sprite caught on dry land - which it seems he often is. We get the sense that the character wants to be a pirate much in the vein of a child's fantasy, free to roam the seven seas, answering to no man, backed by his loyal crew, swimming in gold, wenches, and rum, yo-ho-ho... At least, that's how I identified with the character. At the same time, we are shown several times the lost child at the center of the fantasy, relying on his 'broken compass' to reveal what he truly wants, unable to see beyond his basest desires - except in the end, when he searches his deepest feelings to come back and face the music, so to speak, thus setting the stage for the introduction to the sequel. Of course, since 'Pearl' Jack has always been on the edge of disaster, scheming, talking and slinking his way out of one bad situation right into another, and of course this reaches an apex with his decision to do 'right' at the end of this movie.

 

Unlike most sequels, I found this movie not only did not ruin the first movie, but genuinely complemented and extended it. I found it genuinely fun, exciting, and entertaining, with plenty of coherent references and extensions to the first movie and the Disney attraction that was the original inspiration. The acting, writing, sets and effects are all superb. Will the next continue in the same vein? Will Davey be reunited with his heart and see the error of his ways, losing his power over the sea but reclaiming his soul? Will Jack and the Black Pearl, through the mystical auspices of Tia Dalma and the no-nonsense pirating of Captain Bellamy, be recovered?

 

I for one can't wait to see the conclusion to this pirate fantasy.

[Patrick]

Saw a couple of films the last few days (most of them acquired from Sweet - thanks again! )

 

Aeon Flux

 

This film isn't as bad as some people will say it is. Yes, the plot is at times predictable and there are some minor inconsistencies, but if you're not looking for the perfect film and just two hours of light entertainment, then this is perfect. Special effects aren't bad and the idea behind the film is also quite good. A good point for the film is that it made me want to check out the comic books behind it.

 

 

 

Battle Royale

 

I had heard about this film long before I saw it and I had pretty good expectations. Luckily they were fulfilled. For those who don't know the film, the story shortly resumed is: a class of japanese students is sent onto an island and after three days only one can survive, otherwise they all die.

 

The teenage actors in the film did a really good job in portraying what their characters might have been going through in such a situation. The plot reserves quite a few surprises and sudden turns. All in all, a great film, although due to some pretty gritty death scenes, I'm sure some people wouldn't enjoy it.

 

 

 

The Shawshank Redemption

 

This film was actually the highest rated film on IMDB some time ago, but lately it has been pushed back to second place by The Godfather. Whether it is first or second though, it definitely deserves that place. I saw it a few years ago first and had been on the hunt for it ever since, and finally got it last weekend. I usually find that Morgan Freeman acts really well in most of his films, but in this one he delivers a stunning performance, along with Tim Robbins.

 

The film does a great job of portraying what spending decades in a prison can do to a man. Definitely a film I would heartily recommend to anyone.

[Gryphon]

I went to see Over the Hedge over the weekend and thought it was great.

 

I usually quite enjoy animated movies for the most part and this was no exception.

 

The plot line, if we can call it that, was fairly standard fare with the world wise and somewhat jaded character getting himself in trouble about over his head with the bad guy. He con's some innocent bystanders into helping him out of his trouble and in the process becomes their friends. With the help of the new friends he turns the tables on the bad guy just in time for a happily ever after.

 

Dress all that up in animated costume with a bear a racoon, several porcupines and opossums, a tortise, a skunk, a squirrel... and some mostly humanoid supporting characters. Add in one dose of humor, seasoned lightly with adult humor for those in the audience who either came with their kids or were brave enough to go on their own and you end up with a recipe for a really good way to spend an hour and some of your time.

 

I'm also happy to report that this movie avoided the whole 'musical' sans 'Walt Disney' factor and if the entire 'cast' broke into spontatious song and dancing then I either blocked it from my memory or it was traumatic enough to provoke significant amnesia. Personally I prefer to think that it wasn't there at all which is more than fine by me.

 

For a bit of light, funny entertainment there was absolutely nothing missing from this movie with the added advantage that being an animated feature it doesn't usually induce an overwhelming urge in people to analyze it to death.

 

Lastly, if nothing else, even if you have to wait until it comes out on dvd and sneak into the local video store and claim to be hiring it for a niece or nephew or something, you've got to get this to watch what happens when they give the squirrel a caffienated energy drink. It was brilliant.

[Wyvern]

I went to the movie house with Yui-chan and saw "Nacho Libre" today.

 

The premise and setting of "Nacho Libre" are quite interesting, as it involves a friar cook at a monastery in Mexico who's passionate about becoming a famous wrestler. Jack Black does a very good job in his lead role as Nacho, with his comic facial expressions and maneuvers pretty much stealing the show as far as the film's comedy is concerned. The humor definitely had its ups and downs, as the absurdity of the wrestling matches was occasionally knocked down a few pegs through pointless fart/poop jokes. The heroic orphan-saver trait of Nacho and the frequent appearences of impressionable kids had "Nickolodeon Productions" written all over them. Still, it wasn't a bad film overall... then again, I might have been spoiled by the presence of Yui-chan, since having her around to comment is bound to increase the entertainment value tenfold. (Yui's presence only managed to bump "I Robot" up to "mediocre," though.)

 

I'm really impressed by the depth of a number of these Pen movie reviews; a thanks goes out to everyone who's posted their impressions. Patrick - out of curiousity, did "Aeon Flux" originate as a comic book, or as a cartoon show on MTV?

[Patrick]

I didn't even know that there had been a TV series, but after some wikipedia searchin I found that the MTV series came more than a decade earlier.

 

I watched Serenity this weekend.

 

It provided two hours of nice entertainment and from the questions I could still ask myself after the end of the film, there is quite some room for a sequel. Special effects were unnoticable, which is always good in a science-fiction movie, meaning that they managed to blend in quite nicely.

 

The acting, while not the best I have seen was definitely quite good, with the performance from Summer Glau taking the prime (in my opinion of course). The weapons used in the movie were quite cool and it was interesting to see where they were inspired from.

 

If there was one thing I could hold against the movie it was leaving too many questions unanswered. For example, I couldn't figure out, even after the film why River Tam's character had gained the knowledge she had, and why she had her crazy moments.

 

Still that doesn't take much away from the film, and I'd still recommend it.

[The Portrait of Zool]

Aeon Flux originated from a series of five or six 4 minute shorts on MTV's Liquid Television in 1992, then went into production for 1 season of ten half-hour shows in 1995.

 

I have always been a rabid AF fan, and have been diligently working towards seeing the movie (best I am able under my other obligations) to review it both on it's own merits and how it compares to the original animated series.

[reverie]

I couldn't figure out, even after the film why River Tam's character had gained the knowledge she had, and why she had her crazy moments.

 

Patrick, re-watch the opening dream/rescue/holograph sequence. The last part of the sequence, an exchange between the Alliance Agent/Assassin and the Scientist explains why/how River Tam gained her knowledge (though they are not aware as to what specifics knowledge she might have gained). The middle part of the sequence (the holograph) between Simon Tam and the Scientist explains why Rivers is psychotic.

 

If that's not enough, then watch the Firefly Series on which the movie is based. I had only watched one episode before the watching the movie, so I had similar questions. The series doesn't clarify everything (for it's barely one season long), but it will fill you in on every-one's background.

Edited July 24, 2006 by reverie

[Zadown]

I assume ye haven't seen Firefly then, Patrick, as it answers many of the questions Serenity did not have time to go through. It's far better to watch the TV series first and the movie second, because that's the right chronological order. I really loved Serenity, but I realized while I watched it that for those who haven't seen the TV series it's not quite that enthralling - it takes a while to get into the world, a transition any Firefly-fan has already done.

 

Of course, if you have watched Serenity and liked it, delving deeper into the world by watching Firefly next is a logical next step. I can recommend both the movie and the series to any scifi fan.

Edited July 24, 2006 by Zadown

[reverie]

A Scanner Darkly

 

Strange movie. By the same guy who wrote Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep a.k.a Blade Runner. I liked it though. It helps if you have some appreciation for drug culture. If not you might want to pass on this one. Keanu Reeves was cast in the perfect role for his range: A somber-burned-out-under-cover-cop-turned-drug-addict that losing his hold on reality. Woody Harrison and Robert Downy Jr. were equally well cast as paranoid drug addicts. Man, Robert Downy Jr, should get an Oscar for his role. He really nailed it. It's uncanny, it's like he really was a paranoid drug addict. Oh wait a minute, he was/is. Winona Ryder was just well Wianno, and thus being Wianno can only be lovely in that heart-warming jaded sort of way that she does so well.

 

Anyway, one of these days I think I should pick up a Philip K. Dick sci-fi novel to see what all the fuss is about.

Edited July 24, 2006 by reverie

[Patrick]

I indeed haven't seen Firefly, but that is what I mean to do after watching Serenity. Now I just need to get my hands on the TV series.

[The Portrait of Zool]

Philip K Dick Rocks! err... Rocked!

 

I highly reccomend the biography DVD 'The Gospel According to Philip K Dick'.

 

The Editorial Review at Amazon.com:

 

The visionary work of science fiction legend Philip K. Dick inspired the films Blade Runner (1982), Total Recall (1990), and Minority Report (2002). Films from John Carpenter's They Live to David Cronenberg's eXistenZ to The 6th Day mine the same sense of the technological morass, complex conspiracies, and manipulated and uncertain realities that Dick spun out in such novels as Time Out of Joint and A Scanner Darkly. Dick's unnerving ideas influenced a generation, but despite the title of this labor-of-love documentary, it's less about his work than the life-changing events of the last decade of his life. The bizarre true story of paranoia, mind-altering drugs, mystical visions, and an 8,000-page treatise called The Exegesis is as compelling as any of his novels. All it lacks is a grounding: filmmakers Mark Steensland and Andy Massagli take for granted a familiarity with the author and his work. That may leave the casual viewer a bit bewildered by it all, but fans will appreciate the comments of cult author Robert Anton Wilson and rare audio recordings of Dick himself (set to funky minimalist animation). Lacking a strong portrait of Dick's life and work before the visions, The Gospel According to Philip K. Dick is hardly definitive, relying almost solely on interviews to flesh out the figure, but it is a valuable first step in exploring the work of one of the most influential "unknown" authors of our time. --Sean Axmaker

 

The Amazon page

[The Portrait of Zool]

Firefly the series is really good - I haven't seen the movie.

 

I find the premise of the series a pretty bold leap: It is basically a sci-fi western, straight out of American history of the aftermath of the civil-war, explored with a psychic dimension and with space travel added.

[reverie]

The American Civil War? I think it's more complex than that. The 'verse in which the Firefly series take place is the direct result of China and American Influences. The premise is that the two greatest powers on earth at the time of it's abandonment blended in order to survive in space. That's why all the written language you see is both in English and mandarin. As a bonus all the curse words are in Mandarin as well. They are even up-to-date. The DVD bonus material states that the Translators called back to friends in Shanghai constantly in order to get the most current Swear words possible.

 

Hmm, but I guess it could work if your talking about Americans West Ward Expansion Post Civil War. The Americans would be the Alliance forces trying to use the land "better" and the Native-Americans would be the Independents, saying "no". But after the last battles were fought the Natives ultimately were forced to assimilate.

 

Not sure if the Aftermath did much for it though. I think the Native Americans fate would have been largely the same even if the War between the States had never occured.

Edited July 24, 2006 by reverie

[The Portrait of Zool]

It certainly sounds more complex than that! However, I will stick with my comparison as the inspiration if not the actual structure.

 

Rereading my post, it sounds a little like I am dissing Firefly, which wasn't my intention at all. I really do like it! However, watching the show, especially in the first few episodes, I couldn't shake the uncanny comparison with the post-civil war veterans who had been discharged en masse, only to return home and find ruins, or to form outlaw bands that took advantage of the devestated civil state.

 

Episode after episode, it dawned on me the juxtaposition of colonial american and space technologies from the 'war' made it a genuine 'sci-fi western', with many parallels to post-civil war America. There has even been more than one episode centering around slavery! Absolutely more complex, with additional background and depth, but a sci-fi-western none-the-less.

 

Will it turn out as awesome as Babylon 5? We shall see...

[reverie]

I'd hope it could surpass Babylon 5 (very interesting and exciting show too, but honestly I never was a fan). But that's just the Joss Whedon fan in me talking. Buffy's comedic timing will live on! It's like Far scape meets Buffy meets Western.

 

I don't know, the civil war thing. It's like there's no question of the culture of subjugation of another people that weighs in heavily in Firefly, like it did in the Civil War. That's a driving force and source of resentment that's hard to discount especially if said people are placed in power. Then a few full blown insurrections ensue to take the power back, which happened on more than one occasion during and after American Reconstruction.

 

However, I do see a parallel or two now that I think about it some more. First thing that comes to mind:

 

Jesse James for one. His gang for former Confederates turned Robbin Hood doesn't exactly fit Mal and his crew, however it not too far off either. The James Gang was rebelling against the tyranny of the Rail Road Barons (in the Mid West or North West?) and Mal against an imperialist government with utopia dreams.

 

Populism too. If you think about the Mudders Episode where Jane becomes a local Hero. The mudders are not too unlike Share-cropper farmers. If they were to unite politically and not just over a living-legend, then you have the roots for a movement that could mirror the farmers populist movement that started back during the late 1800.

 

 

Intriguing. I should do some more research on this. Faulkner would probably be a good place to start if it wasn't so dang depressing. Maybe Twain has some stuff. Anyone know if Twain wrote that much about the Post civil-war era? I know he did lots for the Anti-Bellum South, but I'm not too clear on his other stuff.

 

Anybody got any other recommendations for gaging the climate of the Post Civil War America other than Wikipedia.

Edited July 24, 2006 by reverie

[The Portrait of Zool]

With Babylon 5, like the original Aeon Flux animated series, I watched the very first episode, and the very last, and most in-between. I plan one day on buying the entire series, which is available on DVD, though it would probably take me a decade to watch them all, given my usually crowded schedule. B5 I could describe in one word: Epic. Absolutely Epic. The transformation of the characters throughout the series, and of humanity itself, I found thoroughly absorbing, triumphant, tragic, and even mind-boggling, depending. Truly an underrated classic, IMO.

 

Of course, that's just my opinion.

[Zadown]

Not just yer opinion, Zool - mine as well. I've seen every episode of B5 twice (except the one about the raiders during 4th or 5th season only once), and the second time watching it was almost as powerful experience as the first. B5 truly shows what the medium of a multi-season series is capable of, taking the storytelling and the immense changes in every main character to a level I haven't seen before or since. After having watched B5 any series that constantly returns to status quo in the end of every episode seems like a dull, monochrome affair in comparison.

[The Portrait of Zool]

Amen, Z.

 

Amen.